Physician Assistant (Mental Health)

Physician Assistant (Mental Health)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Chesapeake County, Virginia

Salary Range: $116565 - $204615 Per Year

Job Summary: The Psychiatry Physician Assistant (PA) is an intermediate level position and is responsible for the care and administrative needs of mental health patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. The PA also functions as a coordinator between the attending physician and the other team members to include nurses and PMH NPs, psychologists, social workers, psychotherapists, LMFTs, LPMHCs, addiction therapists and other clinic personnel.

Major Duties:

• The Psychiatry PA will be responsible for the primary medical needs of inpatients and outpatients in the mental health clinics and wards. Duties will include, but not be limited to, the evaluation of current psychiatric and medical problems, administrative assistance, quality assurance and educational support as detailed below. Position may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call, in addition to regular tour of duty. Other duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Conduct initial psychiatric evaluations, including initial assessment interviews, history and physical exams; lab, imaging, medication and psychotherapy consultation orders, aftercare plans and follow up visits. Following the initial evaluation, the PA will provide appropriate follow up care including reassessments of diagnoses and conditions, medication adjustments, and any further tests or consults indicated. Provide mental health education /counseling and brief therapy of patients and their families. Primary responsibility for care of patients when the clinic medical director is absent. Conduct ongoing follow up appointments for stable patients, including regularrefills of medications, required lab and other tests and documenting progress. Perform examinations and screening scales (such as AIMS, MoCA, HAM-D) andsimilar non-invasive examinations specific to the ongoing care of psychiatricpatients. Ordering appropriate laboratory tests, imaging studies, EKGs(electrocardiograms), and similar noninvasive tests. Initiating and expediting consultation requests and scheduling special tests andstudies. Drawing blood specimens for testing and obtaining other body fluid samplesrequiring comparably low levels of invasiveness. Making rounds for inpatients, holding scheduled appointments for outpatients toobserve and record patients' medical progress, and notifying the collaboratingphysician of significant changes in patients' condition. Mixing and starting IV (intravenous) solutions and administering IV medications. Dispensing medications (including injections). Providing education and counseling of the patient and the patient's family inpreventive care, medical conditions, and the use of prescribed treatments andmedications. Performing preventive health activities (including intradermal testing). Ordering appropriate prosthetic devices and medical equipment. Recording notes on all procedures performed for which the PA is responsible. Initiating ECT or TMS work up and scheduling. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications: Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Physician Assistant Basic Requirements Master's degree in any discipline or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with one year of experience as a Physician Assistant ~AND~ Successfully passed the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE) (or are you in the process to taking the exam) ~AND~ Currently hold, or will hold, a full and unrestricted license to practice in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States or in the District of Columbia. Preferred Experience: Approximately 2-3 years of recent or current physician assistant experience in mental health specific to the area of interest. Experience with Behavioral Health patients. Experience as a provider for Mental Health diagnoses and treatment plans. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic qualification requirements, the grade level of a PA is based on a combination of training and experience. Physician Assistant-I (PA-I): Experience and Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this grade are expected to present the following minimum skill set: Ability to utilize the principles of PA practice in the care of assigned patients to provide appropriate care. Ability to perform patient history and physical. Ability to formulate a plan and provide treatment to the patient. Ability to provide patient care that is abreast of changing concepts and advancements in the profession. Physician Assistant-II (PA-II): Experience and Education. PAs at this grade is at the intermediate grade level and has had progressively increasing responsibility and experiences as indicated in the KSAs listed below. Individuals will have demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve more complex medical problems than at the entry level grade and can utilize their training in the successful practice of patient care and participate in team problem solving. Individuals demonstrate the KSAs of PA-II intermediate level by: Two years of successful practice as a PA. -or- Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC- A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. PAs at this grade should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire the following skill set not met upon appointment for PA-II: Skills to analyze and solve complex medical problems. Ability to function autonomously and make independent medical decisions. Skill to incorporate training and experience into the successful practice of patient care including telehealth medical care. Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment for improvement of services for patient care. Ability to practice with colleagues and peers collaboratively. Physician Assistant-III (PA-III): Experience and Education. PAs at this grade are at the full performance level and lead and organize patient care independently, practice within multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinate all aspects of patient care across the health care system. They utilize advanced clinical knowledge and judgment in decision-making and evaluating outcomes. They function as experts in clinical practice and/or in areas related to the assigned roles and responsibilities, may serve as mentors for transitioning PAs, and may provide training for health care students. Individuals can demonstrate the KSAs for the full performance level by: Three years of successful practice as a PA. -or- Successful completion of a PA post-graduate residency program sponsored by VHA Office of Academic Affiliations or other postgraduate residency programs accredited by VA, ARC-PA, U.S. Armed Forces, or another accrediting agency and one year of professional practice as a PA. -or- A doctoral degree in a health-related field from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and one year of professional practice as a PA. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. PAs at this level should be able to demonstrate, develop, or acquire the following skills set not met upon appointment for PA-III: Ability to clinically evaluate facility patient care delivery systems and validate or identify barriers to safe and effective patient care. Skill to consistently demonstrate an elevated level of expertise and autonomy in diagnosing and treating seriously ill, multi-symptomatic patients through facility Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Ability to present clinical findings and recommendations to appropriate management officials. Ability to clinically facilitate the delivery of patient care in collaboration with health professionals, health managers, and other health care personnel. Ability to implement and initiate clinical changes to established treatment protocols based upon new medical literature research findings to enhance patient delivery care for improved patient outcomes. Ability to participate clinically in the development of the PA patient care audit processes involving in-depth review and analysis of medical records. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is PA-III. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of PA-I to PA-III. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. Use of fingers may be required to operate computers. There may be occasional light lifting/carrying (15 pounds or less) requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and ambulation related to physical inspections of the facilities.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/26/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12865679. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-26